Addicted To Love (Snowbarry AU)
by Adaline Keff
Summary: Caitlin Snow is in an abusive relationship which leaves her unhappy and addicted to drugs. until one night, outside of a club she has an encounter with Barry Allen. She didn't think much of him at first, but little did she know that he was about to turn her isolated world upside down. through series of laughter and cries, will Caitlin finally realize that not all guys are cowards?
1. Pilot

"STOP!" She yelled as furiously and confidently as she could trying to get Kenneth's strongly built figure off of her body that looked far too tiny and weak against his. "You are hurting me!" She tried again only to get pushed even more. But this time, way harder. She let out a loud howl as she felt her spine hit hard against the door frame of their apartment and tears started to form in her eyes.

She tried to speak but was unable to as his muscular arms pulled her even closer to his chest leaving no sign of space between them, followed by an unexpected kiss while one of his free hand was roaming around various parts of her body. She tried to speak once again but she was unable to as it seemed like the supply of oxygen seemed to go low by the second.

The pain was unbearable but she had to do something to get rid of his grasp around her. Without thinking twice, she bit his bottom lip with all the force she had in her teeth midway through their kiss.

She felt relived as his grasp around her body suddenly got loose as he stepped back with his thumb pressed firmly on his bottom lip as a treating mechanism. She let her shoulders fall back as she could finally breath and let her body calm down by closing her eyes for a moment.

Her eyes flew open as she heard his loud painful scream. His eyes, full of anger looked straight into hers. "WHAT THE FUCK CAITLIN!?" He yelled in pain causing her body to tense up and leave her completely frightened. and as soon as she knew it she saw his right hand balling into a fist, coming at her face with full force.

She howled ever so loudly as she felt a sharp pain go up her face. She fell back against the door frame as her legs seemed too weak to hold her weight. Her right hand flew up to her cheek pressing hard against it in order to numb the pain, which was no use, as the pain grew more and more by the second.

Tears started to flow down her face causing her vision to become unclear. "OH COME ON STOP THE CRYING! YOU HAVE NO RESPECT FOR ME ALL I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS GIVE YOU SOME AFFECTION AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? YOU DESERVE THIS!" Kenneth yelled in anger as he furiously made his way out their apartment and slammed the door ever so loudly with out even sparing one glance at her.

She was frozen. She laid back against the frame and curled up in a ball she was wearing nothing but a black skimpy tank top, with a denim jacket over it, which was now ripped by the sleeve and drenched in her tears and blood coming from the cut in her cheek and some simple black yoga shorts.

In nights like these, Caitlin would usually ask her self if she really loves Kenneth and why she was doing this to her self. But the truth is she did love him. Very much. He was the only person that understood and accepted her while growing up when no one would. And at one point, they both really did have a healthy relationship in which both of them were happy.

But time changed Kenneth as it changes everyone filling his heart and soul with darkness as every tick went by. But she still believed that there was a sign of good alive within him that would eventually be ready to show someday. And so she sat there in their apartment that they had bought together about a year ago which is quite surprising since neither of them had a job that was stable.

She wondered when things would eventually take a good turn for them when suddenly, the night sky caught her attention as it sent out a shooting star. "Please give me my old Kenneth back" she begged as the shooting star went out of sight. And so she moved her self to the bed trying to ignore the pain that was flowing up her body. She dozed off to sleep immediately as her head hit the pillow, hoping that at least tomorrow would be a good day.

\- End of flashback-

It was the day after the major blowout and Caitlin was staring at herself in front of her washrooms mirror, leaning against the sink as she examined her bruise that Kenneth had scared her with last night.

It was 7:45 pm and Caitlin and her friend Ebony had made plans in the morning to go to the bar and just have a girls night where they speak out their feelings.

Caitlin took some foundation and applied it on her cheek in hopes of covering the bruise. She applied the last bit of her lightly red tinted lipstick as she examined herself in the Mirror before she headed out the door.

She was wearing a black skin tight dress that barely fell below her thigh, revealing her long legs, Caitlin's  
entire closet pretty much included a bunch of skimpy clothes as she spent most of her days at clubs, bars usually getting high with either Kenneth or her friends.

At first she never excepted this type of life but now, she couldn't live without it. This type of life really helped her find herself and made her realize that no matter what she does, life would never give her what she wanted even if she worked her ass of... and so she thought to herself, why live life trying so hard to be perfect when in the end, none of that would matter?

Her makeup was light and her straight and silky strawberry blonde hair was tied back into a simple pony tail. She grabbed her black heels and her black clutch as she made her way out the door. She hadn't seen Kenneth the whole day. He had never returned. But she could care less. Tonight, she wanted to spend time focusing on herself and have some alone time with her friend.

 **A/N: thank you so much for reading the first chapter. I don't really know how i feel about this story or if i should continue... what do you guys think? If i do decide to continue, the next chapter would most probably be up sometime around next week. Next chap would probably be the snowbarry encounter... sorry for the errors!**


	2. The Encounter

When Caitlin opened the door to the bar, she was welcomed to the loud music and the smell of Hennessy. It felt like home. One place she was not afraid to be herself. It was the one place where she didn't care about what people thought of her.

She smiled to herself as she stepped in. She looked around for a moment to see what was going on. As per usual, people getting drunk and dancing like there's no tomorrow. In other words; people having fun.

She looked around the bar trying to spot her friend, Ebony. But she was no where to be found. Caitlin checked her watch, it read 8:05. Ebony was late. They had made plans to meet up at the bar at 8:00.

She couldn't help but feel disappointed. She hated when people never kept their words. Ebony knew better. But she really didn't want her mood to be ticked off, so she tried to put her thoughts aside and enjoy her self until her friends arrival.

She went over to the bar and started to make her self a drink. As she was doing so, she started to notice all the couples holding hands, and swaying to the beat of the music. She couldn't help but feel jealous. Her and Kenneth never did things like that...

She let those thoughts aside and focused on the drink she was currently making. Her phone buzzed and caught her attention immediately. When she noticed that it was a message, sent by Kenneth her face pulled on a smile. She knew Kenneth would apologize to her sooner or later. She immediately put her drink down and unlocked her phone.

Her smile faded as she saw his message. it was a picture. Of him holding a girl that was completely unknown to her. The girl's arms were around his neck and Kenneth's arms were around her waist. There was no sign of space between them. Based on the girl's attire and the background of the picture, it seemed like both of them were at a party. The part that really got to her was that fact that they both looked happy. In each other's arms.

It was that moment when she noticed the tears falling down her face. She was furious. She felt like yelling and punching every guy in the bar. Caitlin knew exactly why Kenneth sent her that picture. It was to show her that he wasn't afraid to move on to someone else. That fucking asshole... she grabbed her clutch angrily off the table and stomped her way out the door. 'Fuck this!' She thought to her self. She was now in no mood of meeting up with ebony or having fun.

When she was out the bar in no time, she went to the outside left side of the bar **(I'm really bad at explaining sorry.)** She went and sat down on the stair case and pulled out a cigarette from her clutch, as well as a lighter. She lit the cigarette and put it in her mouth. Everything started to replay in her mind and she started crying. Again. She had enough. She couldn't take this anymore. She took the cigarette out her mouth and threw it on the ground with all her force. She let her face fall in her hands as the tears went out of control.

She sat there, underneath the lamppost in the dark. Feeling alone, angry and scared. Wondering when all this bullshit would vanish.

 **Earlier that day, 7:25 pm. Central gold apartments.**

Barry Allen woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. He sits up straight and stretches his arms while yawning. He was quite surprised. He still felt tired after his 2 hour nap... But the week has been pretty harsh for him. His job at The Central City Police Department seemed to get harder and harder each day with multiple cases to go through and a lot of crime scenes to visit. It felt like he hardly ever got time to breath and relax.

He reached for his phone that was on his side table and couldn't help but feel unpleased when he saw the callers ID. It read 'Iris West'. Barry usually enjoys iris's company because she is his best friend who he has practically spent his whole life with after the death of his parents. But today, he really didn't want to be bothered by anyone and just sleep the whole day away.

He forced himself to press answer and put his phone to his ear. "BARRY ALLEN HOW DARE YOU IGNORE ME?!" Came a loud and furious voice. "I am not ignoring you. I was just sleeping. You know Singh finally gave me a day off today and I was trying to enjoy it until you called." He said a little harsh then he had intended to. He hears iris sigh. "I'm sorry. I know Singh finally gave you a day off after the longest time. I just really wanted to ask you something." She says in a surprisingly calm voice. "What is it?" He asks a bit curious. "Me and Eddie are planning on going to the bar at around 8 and we were wondering if you would like to tag along?" She asks. He already knew the answer he would give her but before he could say it her voice cut him off "look I know you are gonna say no but, it's been such a long time since we had a friends day out and I would really like to catch up! I know you were really looking forward to sleeping in today but come on! Do this one favor for an old friend will ya? PLEASE?" She pleads. He sighs. He knew iris would not stop bothering him until he gave her the answer that she was looking for. "Fine." He said finally, giving up. "Yay! I'll pick you up at 8. Bye!" She said with enthusiasm as she hung up.

Barry scoffed and put his phone back on his side table. He got out of bed and couldn't help but feel sore as he had gone to the gym to work out yesterday like he always pretty much does everyday in order to keep his body fit and healthy. But today he had decided to skip it because he couldn't help but feel lazy for the first time in which seems like forever.

He ignored the pain of his sore body and made his way to the bathroom. He took a quick shower and got dressed. He didn't wear anything too formal as it was just a bar so he wore his black jeans, maroon shirt along with his black bomber jacket and finally his black converse. He took his comb and gave his hair a light brush, grabbed his wallet and phone and was out the door to wait for his best friend and her boyfriend to come pick him up. And when they finally arrived, they all were on their way.

 **Present time: 8:25 pm**

Barry, iris and Eddie finally reached the bar and the minute they stepped in, Eddie pulled iris towards the dance floor and they both started to dance. Barry smiled at the two love birds that were having a blast. Iris motioned Barry to come join them with her hand to which he immediately shook his head. He usually would have said yes but he really didn't feel like it today. Iris gave him an understanding nod and yelled "go enjoy yourself". If the music wasn't playing this loud and this wasn't a bar, people would have stopped dead in their tracks and looked at her as if she was crazy.

Barry let out a loud chuckle. Iris was right. If he was stuck here he should just have some fun. He made his was towards the drinks area and started making himself a drink. When he was finished doing so and was about to take a sip, his phone rang.

He checked the caller ID and it read 'Cisco'. He put his drink down and answered the call. "What's up man? He said. Cisco replied in a voice that sounded inaudible to him. "What are you saying? I can't hear you! Wait I'm going outside." He said as he makes his way out the door leaving his drink completely forgotten. Once he stepped out he put his phone back to his ear and said "OK I'm outside. What were you saying again?" He asked. "DUDEEEEE I just ordered this really sick pizza with whipped cream on it and surprisingly it tastes really good and I think I'm in love." Says Cisco out of breath. "Seriously Cisco that's why you called me?! To tell me about pizza? You're unbelievable." Barry said letting out a light chuckle. Even if Cisco could be really annoying sometimes, Barry enjoyed his company and his sense of humor. Before Cisco could reply, Barry heard sobbing and weeping noises coming from the left side of the bar. "Well Barry, I am your friend which means you will have to Listen to my f-" Cisco continued but Barry cut him off. "Cisco I'll call you back later." He said without waiting for Cisco's reply and ended the phone call.

He made his way to the left side of the bar to see what was going on. When he did, he witnessed a young woman. About a year or even a few months younger than him sitting on the bottom step of the the staircase that leads the way to the ally. Her hair was tied back and she was wearing a black skin tight dress which he couldn't help but think was a little too short/skimpy for her. But it did really show her perfect curves and long legs quite nicely. Her skin was glowing since she was sitting under the lamppost. Her face, buried in her hands while her shoulders were going up and down because of the continues sobs that were coming out of her.

He was about to walk away but stopped himself to do so. He couldn't just leave this woman to cry alone in the dark with a bunch of crazy maniacs running around the area. No. He was better than that. He walked closer to her so he can be visible to her. "Are you alright" he asked in a concerned but calm voice. Her shoulder suddenly stops moving and her Hands fall off her face. She slowly looks up in order to know who had witnessed her crying.

When Barry first saw her face his breath got caught. She had her mascara flowing down her face, her lipstick was smudged and her cheeks were stained by her tears that were momentarily flowing down her face she was a beautiful mess.

She looked him in the eyes giving him the 'why are you here and what do you want' look He decided to ignore it and proceed. "Are you alright? Do you need help? Are you lost or something?" He asked with a concerned voice. "No I'm not. Can you please just go." She says harshly. "I was just trying to help. You shouldn't b-" he continued but she cut him off. "JUST TRYING TO HELP?! YOU STUPID MEN ARE THE EXACT SAME. YOU ALL ARE FUCKING CUNTS." She yelled angrily as she threw daggers his way with her death glare.

He swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say. She was probably drunk or something he thought to himself.  
" I don't know what you are talking about. Not all men are like that. I think it's best if you get inside because its not good to sit in the dark and cry. Anything can happe-" he was about to Complete his sentence until she cut him off again. " ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN? OH I SEE YOU ARE TELLING ME THIS BECAUSE IM A GIRL AND CAN GET RAPED OR SOME SHIT?! WELL JUST SO YOU KNOW GIRLS AREN'T DELICATE. GOD ALL YOU BOYS THINK EXACTLY THE SAME." She yells throwing her arms angrily in the air.

"That wasn't what I was implying." He spat back at her a bit too harshly than he had intended to. But this girl was getting on his nerves! He wondered why he was still standing here trying to help her when she is being such a bitch to him? He was about to walk away, having enough of this nonsense when he noticed her stand up furiously, no longer sitting on the stairs. She looked at him straight in the eye as she began to speak. " WHY DO BOYS THINK THEY CAN RULE A GIRLS LIFE? THEY ARE SO PATHETIC AND SO UN TOLERABLE I FUCKING CAN'T STAND THIS ANYMORE!" She yells out furiously he noticed her loose her balance a bit as she was coming closer to him. She came so close that they were only a few inches away. She took her index finger and put it on his chest. "You boys make me sick. I don't want to see Any of you. You are all such fucking bastards I just wish all of you would jus-"

Barry was about to run away in fear that this woman might stab him to death because of her hatred towards men. But before he could, she dropped right into his arms. Loosing all her control. He grabbed on to her by the waist tightly to prevent her from falling down. He looked at the woman's face Against his shoulder noticing she is completely knocked out against him. He tried to put the woman back on her legs but there was no sign of strength or control within her. She was LEGIT knocked out.

He held on to her with one arm around her waist while the other started to tap her face "hello? Excuse me? Are you alright?" He asked a bit horrified. There was no response. She was still breathing so he know she wasn't dead. Her eyes were closed and her head was lying against his shoulder. Barry noticed that she had some strands of hair in her eyes so he brushed them off. It was that moment that he really got to look at her face properly. Her face looked so beautiful. She was fair skinned with beautiful rosy cheeks.

Barry let the thought of her looking beautiful slip his mind immediately. This woman was insane! He was about to lay her down on the stairs and get the hell out of here for the sake of his life but, a part of him told himself to take care of this woman in his arms. A part of him told himself that this woman was mentally broken inside and needed someone to be there by her side. A part of him told him self that this woman could not be left alone.

This is crazy!, he thought to himself. He didn't even know this girl. But all he did know was that he wanted to help her and that he wasn't just going to leave her in the dark, unconscious and alone.

And so, he lifted her up, bridal style and made his way to the front of the bar. Once he made it there, he noticed a taxi pulling up. 'Perfect timing' he thought. He made his way to the taxi slowly making sure that the unknown woman in his arms can feel calm. The taxi driver helps to open the door for him and he gently sits her at the backseat and seats himself beside her. Her head immediately falls on his shoulders. He just looks down and smiles.

He told the taxi driver the address to his apartment and they were on the go. Barry took out his phone and sent iris a quick text which read: **H** _ey I'm sorry but I have to leave. I got myself into something that I can't back out from right now. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow._

He closed his phone and looked outside the window enjoying the night sky filled with stars as he let out a loud sigh.

What did he get himself into? He couldn't help but think...

 **A/N: I've decided to continue this story. This chapter was how they meet. I know some parts don't even make sense and that there are some mistakes here and there, but this is my first time writing so I am not that experienced. And plus, I am really only writing this story for fun and to express my snowbarry love! So I am not really taking this story THAT seriously... It's just for fun, once again. Thank you for reading and i will try to update soon!**


	3. Arguments And Pancakes

**Saturday morning, 9:35 am. Central gold apartments:**

Caitlin's eyes flutter open. Her head aches as if she had hit it against a rock. Her whole body feels stiff and sore. She looks up at the ceiling and notices a fan. She gasps. Was she hallucinating? Because she was pretty sure her ceiling had nothing of that sort plastered on it. Her eyes start to wander along the room. She notices a guitar, 2 side tables, a big rug along with a desk and more furniture with things to decorate the room with, such as vases, clocks and picture frames. Her eyes turned round, in shock. Her room looked NOTHING of that sort. Her heart starts to beat faster and her breaths start to get deeper. She swiftly sits up straight in bed, panting. She notices that she is wearing the same attire she had chosen out to wear for yesterday's night out. Did she even go? What even happened yesterday? she thought to herself, completely lost.

Just as she was about to get off the bed to go find out where the hell she was, she heard the bedrooms door knob twist. Her breath got caught as she shifted her feet from the floor, back to the bed swiftly.

A tall figure entered the room. It was a man. She narrowed her eyes to get a better look. He was wearing sweat pants along with a navy blue t-shirt that had 'star wars' written over it. He was well built. When she took a look at his face, she realised the man was probably only about a year or a few months older than her. His face looked young and his hair was a dark-ish brown colour. he looked SO familiar to her somehow. Her eyes caught his and she noticed his green eyes staring back at her.

She swallowed hard in fear as to what this man would do to her, even though he looked like one of those innocent ones. She finally found the courage to speak. "Who the hell are you?!" She asked trying to sound as confident as she could.

"look. Don't freak but my name is Barry and you are in my apartment. I got you here last night." He said in a calm voice, looking straight into her eyes. She gasped. She couldn't believe it. This moron named barry or some shit kidnapped her?! Her face made the best angry look she could pull off at the moment.

She began to speak, "YOU KIDNAPPED ME?!" she asked through gritted teeth. "No! No, i didn't it's actually quite complicated. I saw you sitting alone outside of the bar, crying and asked if you needed help, and you started cussing me off and started telling me about your hatred towards men and well um... you just fainted in my arms out of nowhere. I knew i couldn't just leave you there so i sorta... um brought you here... hence, why you are in my guest rooms bed right now." He said. His green eyes looking at her with sincerity.

Her eyes widened and her breaths started to get more deeper. It was that exact moment when all the scenes from last night started to replay in her mind. She suddenly remembered everything. She remembered Kenneth sending her a picture of him with a girl that caused her to go outside and cry her heart out. She remembered this man, who was standing in front of her right now, trying to help her but she had refused his help immediately.

She could feel tears starting to form in her eyes. Her face fell in the palms of her hands, in a way to make her control her tears from flowing all the way down her cheeks. "You should have just left me there! Why the fuck did you even bring me here?! I would have been better off dead!" She yelled at him as her face flew up from her palms. Her eyes, throwing daggers at him.

He gulped. He couldn't believe this women. She really was a bitch. He thought she would start to thank him and apologize for her actions last night but boy, was he wrong! He really did make a big mistake bringing her here. What was he thinking?!

"Well, you are right. I shouldn't have brought you here because i am SO regretting the stupid decision i made last night." he said to her in a harsh tone. If she was going to talk to him like that, so would he.

She huffed. She didn't know what to say. "Well it was a stupid ass decision." She shot back at him. Barry just stared at her. She was so Unbelievable. He had enough. He gave her the best stink eye he could pull off and made his way out the door. Making sure to slam it as hard as he could. 'Fuck it' he thought. As he made his way towards the kitchen. He just wanted the women sitting in his guest room to leave immediately. For gods sake, he didn't even know her name! And here he is trying to help the unknown woman and her just being a complete bitch to him. His mind was boiling with anger as he was trying to find all the ingredients for his grandma Esther's buttermilk pancake recipe. Maybe he should stop trying to be a hero all the time in this selfish world, He thought to himself as he turned the stove on.

Caitlin flinched in surprise as the door slammed shut, startling her. She felt scared, all alone in an unknown room, of an unknown apartment, with an unknown person. She sat in the bed for a few seconds, staring into space thinking about what she should do next. Then it suddenly hit her. She had to get the fuck out of here and go back to her apartment!

She swiftly got off the bed, ignoring the pain that was flowing throughout her body and made her way towards the door. Before she could twist the knob to open it, the suns light reflecting off of a shiny object caught her attention **(A/N: i'm really bad at explaining. Sorry!)**. She looked to her left and noticed a full length mirror. Her hands left The door knob as she made her way towards the mirror, to get a look at herself.

As she stood in front of the mirror, facing her reflection, she started to examine her body from the top to the bottom. Her hair, was in a Ponytail with several strands falling out. Her face, was a mess. She had mascara stains on her cheeks and her lipstick was smudged. She looked further down and looked at her figure. She was wearing a skin tight black dress that looked pretty skimpy on her. Showing off her curves and legs. She had no shoes on. The man probably took it off for her or something... she thought.

She stared at herself for a few more seconds. Trying to take in what she was looking at. she looked AWFUL. she thought to herself. Never in her life had she ever felt so disgusting! She just really needs to go and get herself cleaned. She started to frantically look around the room, in hopes of trying to spot a washroom somewhere. To her surprise, she did spot one, on her right. She quickly made her way towards it.

When she entered the washroom, the first thing she did was turn the tap on. She leaned her face into the sink and let the warm gush of water cleanse her face. She rubbed her hands on her face in order to get rid of all the stains. When the stains were no longer present, she closed the tap and undid her ponytail. She raked her hair with her hands to get rid of any knots because a comb was not present at the moment. She decided to leave her hair open and not bother tying it back up again. Before she was about to exit the washroom, she fixed her attire trying to push the short dress down as much as she can so that her legs were not showcased.

When she exited the bathroom, she could smell the buttermilk pancake aroma that was surrounding her. Her stomach growled at the smell. She hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. She and Ebony had made plans for dinner but, obviously that never happened. She straightened her back, trying to look as confident as she could as she made her way out of the guest room. She needed to have a talk with the so called 'Barry'.

Barry had just finished Stacking the last pancake on the plate when he heard the guest room door open. He tried to ignore it. For all he could know, the girl was probably leaving without even telling him anything. He took the plate, stacked with pancakes over to the dining table. As he did so, he heard bare footsteps making their way towards him. He turned around and there she was. Standing right in front of him, her chocolate brown eyes staring straight into his soul.

He couldn't help but think that she looked different. Sure, her hair was out and she washed her face but there was something else to it. She seemed different in a way. He was brought back to reality as he heard her start to speak. "Look... Barry i don't know what all of this is about but... i guess i'm sorry... i shouldn't have just snapped at you. It's just that you are a complete stranger to me and well... um i was scared." She mumbled, a hint of fear in her voice. Her eyes looking away from his, trying to focus on something else such as the plate of pancakes behind him.

Barry sighed. This girl was really asking for forgiveness. "It's ok. I get it." He said to her simply. There was an awkward silence for a moment. Neither barry or caitlin knew what to say. "Um... do u want some breakfast or something...?" He asked. Caitlin looked at the pancakes behind him once again. They really did look delicious. "Ya sure... um thanks." She simply replied as she went over to one of the dining chairs and took a seat.

Barry took a seat in front of her and passed her a plate with a pancake alongside syrup and a fork. "Thanks" she said to him before she began to take the first bite. "No problem. I'm sorry if it doesn't really taste that good... i sort of made them in a hurry." He said, a hint of insecurity in his voice. "No. Not at all! They taste very good. I haven't had pancakes like these in a very long time. It sort of brings back some good old memories." She said looking down at her plate, remembering the taste of her dad's pancakes and how he used to feed them to her with so much love. She smiled to herself as the memories started to play in her mind.

Barry just sat there looking at her with a warm smile. She was completely lost in her own world at the moment and he couldn't help but find that cute. He decided to break the silence. "What's your name?" He asked. Her eyes flew up to meet his. She gave him a warm smile and replied "Caitlin. Caitlin Snow".

 **A/N: Sorry for any errors. I hope you liked this chapter. I know, its not that good but i'm trying... and as said before, this book is just being written for fun... so its not really being taken THAT seriously from me.**


	4. Going Down Memory Lane

"Im stuffed" said caitlin leaning back in her dining chair when she finished eating her last bite of grandma Esther's buttermilk pancake.

Barry let out a light chuckle. "Ya, these pancakes always have that after effect." He said. She nodded, in agreement. "Well i must say, you are an amazing cook." Barry shook his head in disagreement. "Its actually my grandma Esther's recipe. She was an extraordinary cook. All i did was flip them on the pan." He said as he got up from his chair and started gathering plates and forks to put them in the dishwasher. Caitlin also got up from her chair to lend him a helping hand as she gathered the glasses and the syrup bottle.

As the two made their way to the kitchen, carefully handling the objects that occupied their hands, Caitlin decided to continue the conversation. "Well flipping them on the pan is also considered cooking. If you hadn't paid attention to the pancakes on the pan, they would have been burned to the core." She said. It was almost like they were having a debate. "I guess so... but still, i didn't really do much work. In fact, it had taken grandma Esther about 5 years to come up with the recipe. So i would be a fool to take all the credit." He said while putting the dishes in the dishwasher as Caitlin was handing it to him one at a time. He was clearly not giving up in this debate even though he thought of it as pretty ridiculous, a part of him wanted to win.

"You really shouldn't think so low of yourself." Said Caitlin as she handed him the last dish. He gave her a confused look as he closed the dishwasher shut after placing the last dish in there. "I dont think low of myself. However, i dont think high of myself either" he said as he let out a light chuckle. She gave him an approving smile. "Its a good thing you don't think high of yourself. As a matter of fact, nobody should because nobody is perfect. But... that shouldn't stop you from feeling proud of your self every once in a while." Said caitlin, her eyes looking into his. they stood in the middle of his kitchen in silence. Neither of them knowing what to say next.

Caitlin decided to break the silence as she let out a sigh. "I think i should get going. Thank you. For everything." She said giving him a warm smile as she turned around to make her way out of the kitchen. "Wait! Your missing something!" Barry stopped her, as she was about to step out. She turned around to face him, giving him a puzzled look. "What?" She asked. "Your shoes!" He said, giving her a obvious look. She looked down, to find her feet bare. She chuckled at the fact that she was about to walk all the way to her house with no shoes on. "That's right. Where are they anyways?" She asked as one of her eye brows went up to display the look of confusion on her face as she looked at him. "Oh they are in the guestroom, under your bed. Why dont you wait by the door while i go grab them for you?" He asked. She nodded, accepting his offer as she made her way to the entrance door.

As she waited for him, she found some picture frames hung on the right side of the entrance. The one that caught her attention immediately was a picture of barry, no younger than 18, holding up a trophy in the middle of a field surrounded by cheerleaders. The trophy read; ' **Varsity** **Track & Field Champs 2011' **varsity? He was probably an athlete back in high school... she thought to her self. 'Wait a minute... if he graduated high school in 2011, that makes us the same age because i graduated the same year.' She whispered to herself. Before she could take a look at any other pictures, Barry was walking towards her with her heels in his hands.

"Here they are! I also grabbed your clutch. It was on the night stand." He said, handing her the items. "Thanks!" She said as she took them from him and started sliding the heels on. While doing so, she noticed that he too, was putting on his shoes. "Are you planning on going somewhere?" She asked, curious. "Ya i thought i would walk you home." He said as he began sliding on his jacket. "Please. There is no need for that. Im sure i can find my way back and i have already caused you so much trouble!" She pleaded. "No its alright. Trust me. And plus, i always go on morning walks anyways. Its like a routine." He said as he began unlocking the door. "But i mean you probably have your own walking trail and i wouldn't wa-" she was cut off before she could proceed. "Where do you live?" He asked. "Um... 55th street, Star Line Apartments." She replied.

His eyes widned, which made her look at him with confusion. "What?" She asked. "Nothing. Its just that your apartment is about 25 kilometers away from here! we cant walk there. We will have to take my car." He said as he went over to the shelf on the left side of the entrance and grabbed his car keys. While doing so, he also went over to his coat rack and snatched his bomber jacket that he had worn yesterday. "Here. Its a bit chilly outside today." He said lending her the jacket. She shyly took it from his hands and started sliding it on. "Lets go!" He said as soon as she zipped the jacket up. He made his way out the door after locking if from the inside. She just nodded as she shut the door and followed him out.

Both remained silent in the elevator ride as they made their way to the parking garage. Once the elevator opened, the silence was broken by Caitlins shriek. "Oh my god! You were right! It is chilly! Why do these parking garages have to be underground?!" She complained as she started bouncing up and down in order to make her body gain back its warmth. She did have every right to complain as she was still in the same, skimpy attire from yesterday that left her legs bare, with no protection against the cold wind.

Barry chuckled as he looked at her. She looked like a 5 year old girl who has too much sugar in her system, causing her to be extremely hyper. "Dont worry my car is right over there! You are going to survive!" He informed her as he took out his car keys from his pockets and automatically unlocked his car. He laughed as he watched her run towards it like it was a 100 dollar bill. He seated himself into the drivers seat as she seated herself into the passengers. They both buckled their seatbelts in sync. "Ready?" He asked her as he started the engine. "Yup. I sure am." She replied. With that, they were on the go.

It wasn't until Barry pulled up on the freeway when they started to talk. "Are you warm enough? Should i raise the temperature for the heaters?" He asked. "No. That's fine. Im ok." She said simply. He nodded in agreement and returned his attention to the road.

"So... um you were on the varsity track and field team in high school?" She asked him casually, not trying to sound too curious even though she was. "Wait. How do you know that?!" He asked her shockingly. "I saw a picture of you holding up a big trophy surrounded by cheerleaders." She said. "Oh... ya i was a part of the team. I guess i used to be pretty fast on my feet back in high school." He laughed.  
"I still remembered that day. It was one of the happiest and saddest day of my life!" He continued. "SADDEST?!" she asked in disbelief, her whole facial expression looking shocked. He let out a sigh. "Ya. It was my last year as the varsity team captain. It was harsh. I worked my ass off on making my team the best and all of a sudden it was all gone. I graduated. But i dont regret any part of it. High school was the best years of my life." He said modestly, as if anything he said didnt have much meaning.

Caitlin sat straight in the passenger seat, astonished by all that he had said. "wait wait wait. You were the CAPTAIN of the varsity track and field team?!" She asked in disbelief. "Ya. I mean it wasn't really anything THAT big." He shrugged it off. "ARE YOU INSANE?! Oh my god... you must have been so popular!" Caitlin shouted. That explains why all those cheerleaders were hovering around him in that picture. He was the fricking captain! She thought to herself.

"I mean... yes i was popular, i had a lot of friends, couple of girlfriends... but dont get me wrong. I never used anything as an advantage. I tried my best to not do anyone wrong. In fact, that varsity trophy wasn't ALL i got for spending 4 years in high school. I happened to get myself a science scholarship as well. I have always been passionate about that subject."

Caitlin could feel her jaw drop. So he was Mr. Popular AND Pants?! How? That stuff only happened in movies. All she got in high school was a diploma and then they kicked her out right away after that. No special treatment or anything. In fact, high school had been the worst years of her life. She used to be teased and bullied by the mean girls (ya. They do exist.) And most of the guys didn't see much in her. However, surprisingly, her grades weren't that bad at all. She never got anything below an 85 percent. She actually enjoyed studying back then... however all that changed after she met Kenneth. He took the best of her and turned her whole life upside down and she was too blindly in love with him to notice.

"Um are you ok?" Caitlin jumped when she heard his voice. She was too busy going down High school memory lane to remember that she was still in the car with him. With Barry. "Yes... i guess i kind of lost myself in my own world..." se laughed at her stupidity. "Yes you did. What were you thinking about?" He asked. "Nothing much just how my life has drastically change over the years." She sighed. "How so?" He asked, his attention still on the road. "Um high school wasn't really a fun road for me. I mean, i did used to get straight As but it was nothing like your experience in high school..." she said, with a hint of jealousy in her voice. "Everyone's experiences are different. And just because i was the captain of the varsity team, it doesn't mean that nothing bad happend. A lot of bad shit happened with me in high school. So much drama that i didn't want to be a part of and i almost go expelled for a crime i didnt even commit! But anyways, i learned to cope with all the bumps along the road. That's what life is all about." He said. Caitlin sat in silence for a few seconds, taking in the wise words that he had just spoke.

She decided to change the topic because she didn't want to open all the old wounds high school had caused her. "So... whats your job? Are you like a fitness trainer or something?" She asked out of the blue. If he said yes, it really wouldn't surprise her. But all she heard was his laugh. "What? No i am not a fitness trainer. I work at the central city police department." He said. "The police department?" She asked curiously. "I'm not a cop or anything. I have my own private lab there. I help analyze DNA samples and go over criminal cases." He didn't want to tell her more about her job since most of the information is confidential. "Bold choice." She whispered. "Yes, i guess it was a bold choice. There is actually a reason behind it. My parents were murdered when i was young because some intruder got in our house. It has never been an easy topic for me to talk about. After their murder, my foster dad, Joe took me in." He heard caitlin gasp. He would have never told anyone his back story let alone, someone he barely knows. Only people close to him such as iris and Cisco know about this. But somehow, he felt comfortable in her presence and didnt feel the void of hiding anything.

"I'm so sorry barry." Caitlin said sincerely, placing her hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort. Barry gave her an understanding smile. "So... where do you work?" He asked, changing the subject. Caitlin hesitated to answer his question. Should she tell him the truth? Or should she make up something? "Hey... its ok if you dont want to talk about it." She heard him say. She shook her head. "I work as a barista at Jitters." She said, truthfully not wanting to hide anything from him. She heard him chuckle under his breath. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. "What so funny?" She asked. "Nothing. Its just that i would have never expected you to work as a barista, not that there is anything wrong with that job but you just dont seem like the type." He replied. Her eyebrows remained scrunched, still in confusion. "Why would you say that? What do you think of me?" She asked, biting her lower lip which was a habit for whenever she was nervous or felt insecure. In this situation, she felt both. "Well, Caitlin i think that we reached your apartment." She gave him a puzzled look. That wasn't the answer to her question. "Huh?" She asked. "Your apartment. We are here." He said.

That was when she realized that the car wasn't moving anymore. It was parked by the entrance of her apartment building. She sighed. She was too caught up talking to him throughout the ride, she did not even sense the time flying by. "Oh. That's right. I should get going." She said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Wait. I will come with you to your door." She heard him unbuckle his seatbelt as well. She hesitated. Normally, she would have said yes but, she was afraid that Kenneth might be home and she didn't want to create a big scene. Mostly, she didn't want him to find out about how Kenneth treated her. "Um. No please. That's fine. Trust me i can go myself." She pleaded with him. Barry sighed. "Ok alright. If you say so." He said as he buckled back his seatbelt. She gave him an apologizing smile and opened the car door to exit. "Wait!" He stopped her before her feet touched the concrete of the side walk. She turned around to face him. "Yes?" She asked. "Give me your number. We should stay in contact. Even though i just met you, you seem like a very interesting person to be around."

Caitlin could feel her cheeks turn red. Did he just call her interesting? "Ya sure." She said as she open her clutch and pulled out her phone. "Here is my number." She showed him her contact information on her phone. Barry swiftly got his phone out from his pocket and saved her number on his phone under the name 'Caitlin Snow.'

"Thanks" he said, putting his phone back in his pocket. "Thank you for everything. It mean's a lot. If you weren't there for me last night, i would have probably been frozen solid for fainting out of nowhere outside the club. Bye!" She said sincerely as she hopped out of his car and shut the door. "No problem!" She heard him shout back in response.

She sighed as she watched his car drive off. She already missed his company. Caitlin entered the building and made her way to her apartment door. 'There was something about him. Something that i like.' She thought to herself as she twisted the key on the door knob. Before she could open the door wide open, she could hear sounds of the television. Which meant Kenneth was home. She groaned in annoyance. She was having such an amazing day and Kenneth was about to ruin it all. 'Why of all days did he have to stay at home today?' She asked herself.

She knew she couldn't just stand out in the hallway forever. So, she took a deep breath and opened the door. She was ready to face him.

 **A/N: Sorry for any spelling mistakes and if some of the parts did not really make sense. I am still VERY new to writing so please, bare with me. In this chapter, i really wanted to show them communicating and feeling comfortable around each other. So, i thought about making them talk about their past. I hope it worked? Anyways, thank you for reading!**


	5. A Little Friendship Can Go A Long Way

**A/N: im back! sorry for the long wait. i kinda lost inspiration. tbh i don't know what to do with this story... i kind of just think random things. if you have any ideas pls tell me. as for this chapter, I'm not proud of it... i just wrote what came to mind so my apologies for that. if i think of another idea on how this chapter could have gone, i will rewrite it. And i also didn't proof read it because its 2:54 at night here and i really wanted to update now or else i would forget. so sorry. anyways , hope you... enjoy?**

...

"Where have you been?" Caitlin flinched in surprise as she heard Kenneth's icy voice echoing through the walls of their apartment. she sighed and closed her eyes. she really DID NOT want another heated argument between them... she already had enough! she just wanted to run to her- or 'their' room and lock herself in there until he left. however, that idea seemed quite impossible as Kenneth got up from the couch and started making his way towards.

"I um...," Caitlin struggled to give him a believable reply. "I went to the grocery store!" the words slipped from her mouth before she could stop watched as Kenneth's eyes looked her up and down. "dressed in that?" he asked, clearly not believing a single word she said. Caitlin looked down and saw that she was still dressed in last nights clothes. she gulped. she wanted to jump out of the window. how could she have been so stupid! 'a grocery store! really caitlin?" she thought to herself.

"i uh... i" she felt beads of sweat rolling down her neck. she was trying her best to think of a good excuse but ended up with none. she sighed and looked down at the floor to hide her embarrassment. "you know what... forget i even asked," he said sounding... apologetic? "I'm so sorry cait." caitlin looked up in surprise. was he REALLY apologizing to her? she expected him to give her a piece of his mind but he was somehow acting... nice, for the first time in a long time. "what?" caitlin asked him just to make sure she heard right.

"You heard me! I'm sorry. i really am," he sighed and came closer to her "i cant believe i did that to you... if i had a chance to take back last night, i would! without a doubt. you are... everything to me. you know that right?" Kenneth asked as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear but caitlin slapped his hand away. she too a step back and looked at his with fury. "don't you dare touch me! an apology won't cut it!," her eyes started to water up "you hurt me so much. do you know how that feels? well... i hope you don't because that feeling kills." she felt a single tear slide down her cheek.

"look baby i said sorry." Kenneth said as he took a step forward to take her in his arms, but he stopped dead in his tracks when caitlin raised her hand up, warning him to not come any closer. "Don't. Kenneth. i just really need some time alone...I'm just so lost," she felt her voice start to crack "just give me time to think." that was all she said as she made her way past him and ran into her room and locked it shut. she just didn't care anymore! she was so hurt, so broken. if he wanted her forgiveness, he had to do more than that!. she walked into the washroom that was connected to the bedroom and started taking her clothes off. she just needed to give her mind a rest and the best way to do that was to take a shower. after she was done discarding her shoes, she began doing the same with her dress but before she could, she noticed _his jacket. Barry's_ jacket was draped over her shoulders and she realized she had forgot to return it. she carefully took it off and folded it neatly. she decided she would wash it and well... return it to him... someday. she sighed, wondering when that would be. she quickly took the rest of her clothes off and hopped into the shower.

as she stood there, she wasn't really sure is if the water flowing down her face was from the shower or if it was her own tears.

...

the next day, caitlin had planned on staying in and not going to job because just want not in the mood. however, all those thoughts faded when she realized she hadn't gone to work for 4 days. she groaned in annoyance. as much as she hated being a barista in jitters, that job gave her money whited helped her pay bills. the fact that Kenneth barely earned a nickel made her furious. she was the one who payed all the bills and maintained the apartment when he just sat there like a big oef! for all she knew, she would be happy to kick him out.

Caitlin forced herself to get out of bed, which seemed far too discomforting to do. she went to the bathroom, did her usual morning routine and applied a light coat of makeup. she then went over to her closet and decided on a simple white dress, white flats along with her barista apron . after she was finished getting ready, she unlocked her door and made her way towards the kitchen. her eyes scanned her quite apartment. Kenneth was gone. he probably went to his friends house but she could care less. she smiled because of his absence. she really was not looking forward to seeing him and for the first time what she wanted was happening. she ate a small breakfast and once she was done, she quickly grabbed her bag and was out the door.

...

Her boss hadn't been too keen on her taking so many days off and gave her a warning saying it was his final one. if she skipped anymore days, she would have to resign. caitlin assured him that it wouldn't happen again and made her way to start working. going around and asking people for their orders wasn't exactly her dream job but she just had to deal with it. she forced herself to be as polite as possible towards her customers. she wasn't going to take all her anger out on them. however, all that vanished when she reached table number 12.

there, sat two men, dresses in leather and chains. they looked like they had just escaped iron heights. caitlin wondered if they even had money to pay for their food. "what can i get for you guys?" she asked. "how about a piece of you?" one of the men started laughing. caitlin rolled her eyes. "listen sir I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you continue this behaviour." she said harshly. both the men started laughing. she rolled her eyes again and started walking away. she couldn't stand them another second. she stopped in her steps when she felt a hand slap her ass. her eyes widened. that was it. she swiftly turned and looked at one of the men with fury. "what the fuck?! did you just touch me?" she asked. her eyes, throwing daggers his way. "you sure are feisty" he smirked. caitlin could feel her face growing read and steam blowing out of her ears. she walked closer towards the man and slapped him across the face. "trust me, you don't want to see me 'fiesty'. if i were you, i'd start making my way out." she warned. she watched as the mans face became the perfect resemblance of a bull. he got up from his chair and started making his way towards her. caitlin didn't dare to move. "do you have any idea who you just hit? you little bitch!" he spat at her face. did he just call her a... bitch? THAT. WAS. IT. if this man wanted a fight, he would get one. sure, he was 10 times the size of her but caitlin did have 4 hot, steaming coffee's on her tray. "i don't give a shit who you are. you probably clean the gutters for all i know." she fired back. the man lost all of his cool. he balled his fist and just as he was about to punch her, she felt two arms pull her back.

she watched as the man's fist punched the air instead of her face. she gulped. she felt sweat on her forehead and her heart was beating 10 times faster. she turned around to see who saved her. "iris?" she asked surprised. iris was a new employee. she had just joined last week and was already very good at her job. her and caitlin had quickly gotten along from there. "oh my god caitlin what were you thinking?!" iris asked scolding her friend. "that guy was hitting on me, what did you expect me to do?!" caitlin shot back as she looked over to the man, giving him a death glare. "I'm so sorry sir. it won't happen again." iris said to the man as she started dragging caitlin away. "you just better keep that friend of yours under locks or else one day she will end up under my car!" the man threatened. before caitlin could go slap his face again, iris had already pulled her on the other side of jitters. "caitlin. that man is a jerk." iris said trying to calm her friend. caitlin didn't reply and instead she just started to cry. iris quickly hugged her. "its ok. everything will be fine. I'm here with you." she said trying to comfort her. "no its not! i just don't get why all of this happens to me! I've been through enough shit already." caitlin shot back in the middle of tears. iris just hugged her tighter. "I'm sorry cait. you shouldn't have to go through this. I'm here for you." she said. caitlin hugged iris back. "i know. thanks." caitlin replied. she was thankful for iris. even though they only knew each other for a week, she proved herself an amazing friend. they pulled back after that.

"you sure you are going to be ok?"

"yeah. don't worry about me."

"i will go ask boss if you could take a day off. you've been through enough."

"no. thats fine. I'm ok. i just want to move on."

"if thats what you say."

they both made their way back and caitlin was relived that the two men had left. she wiped her tears and started working again.

before she knew it, the clock read 7:30 and her shift was over. she smiled to herself as she finished cleaning up the tables once she was done, she discarded her apron and grabbed her belongings. just as she was heading out, she heard a voice call for her. "caitlin! wait up!" she watched iris running towards her. "whats up?" caitlin asked. "my family is coming over for dinner and i was wondering if you wanted to join us." caitlin thought about the offer. she was hungry and far too tired to cook. but in the end, she decided to decline.

"thank you iris. but, i would not want to intrude."

iris playfully slapped her arm.

"what do you mean intrude? they will be thrilled to meet you! plus, they were a little worried about me not getting along with people in my new job, this will be perfect."

caitlin sighed. she knew iris was not the type to give in easily.

"all right. thank you." she said with a smile.

the two made their way out together and headed towards iris's home.

...

caitlin sat there awkwardly on the couch as she watched iris placing dishes on the dining table. "do you want any help?" she offered. "no thats alright. i got everything under control. they will all be here soon so just, make yourself at home!" iris replied. caitlin just nodded. her eyes started wandering her friend's apartment. it was spacious and comforting. when iris was finished with the table, she came and sat down on the couch as well.

"so... who is going to be coming?" caitlin asked, trying to break the silence.

"my dad, my brother and my boyfriend." she simply replied.

"i didn't know you had a boyfriend." caitlin said and iris laughed.

"yeah, sorry i left that out. his name is eddie... he's great."

caitlin smiled. she felt happy for her friend.

"are you in a relationship?" iris asked suspiciously

caitlin struggled to give her an answer

"um... i dont really even know anymore" she replied, truthfully.

iris gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure you will figure it out." she assured her.

just then, the door bell rang.

"oh that must be them!" iris said enthusiastically as she ran towards her door. caitlin laughed at her child like behaviour as she too, got up to meet iris's guests.

"hi guys!" she heard iris say as she welcomed them in one by one.

caitlin awkwardly stood there. what was she supposed to say to them? she wasn't the best when it comes to meeting new people.

a tall man entered, dresses in a suit and tie who caitlin figured was iris's dad. she flashed him a smile and shook his hand.

next, a blond haired man entered dresses in the same attire and caitlin was sure he was eddie because she saw him and iris just kiss moments ago.

finally, the last man however, caught caitlin off guard. he was dressed in a simple button down shirt, jeans and converse. it was _him._ she could recognize that smile anywhere. when he entered, he didn't notice her as he was having a conversation with iris.

"oh guys! i almost forgot! this is my friend caitlin. she will be joining us for dinner." iris said introducing caitlin to all of them.

just then, he looked at her, surprised. she smiled at him.

"wow. we live in a small world." he said as he gave her a hug, which she returned.

"hi Barry." caitlin giggled.

"wait wait wait. whats going on? you know each other?" they heard iris say.

"its a long story." Barry said as he pulled back from the hug.

"well i'd like to hear it one day! anyways, its time for dinner. I'm starving!" iris started leading everyone to the dining room.

...

 **A/N: i know this chapter wasn't all that interesting but I'm trying... sorry for spelling mistakes and parts that didn't make sense. pls share ideas with me because I'm so lost**


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